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Committee refers fireworks zoning ban to council; agrees to hold public outreach on display permits
Summary
Safety Committee forwarded a zoning amendment to ban fireworks manufacturing, wholesale or storage to City Council and discussed permitting for displays, asking staff to plan resident notification and a standalone safety meeting before any display permit is granted.
The University Heights Safety Committee voted April 7 to refer a zoning ordinance that would prohibit fireworks manufacturing, distribution, storage and retail sale to the City Council, and discussed companion fire‑code language and display permits.
The draft zoning ordinance (proposed section 12‑80‑14) would prohibit fireworks plants, wholesale distribution and storage in the city. “It’s really not safe here to have the storage and those types of establishments,” Law Director Bridal said, describing the companion ordinance as primarily a zoning restriction. Fire Department staff said the city’s compact density makes storage and wholesale operations inappropriate.
The committee also discussed fire code updates and a companion permit process for fireworks displays. Fire Chief Harko explained that state law governs fireworks permits and the state fire marshal reviews applications; the city’s fire and police chiefs would sign off on any permit before the state grants it. Committee members emphasized resident notification: several members asked that any permit process include outreach to neighbors and suggested a one‑week advance notice across multiple channels. “I would throw out a period of a week beforehand,” Mr. King said.
Because a vendor has already contacted the city seeking a June display, the committee also agreed to schedule a standalone safety meeting or town‑hall to gather resident input and to allow staff time to notify nearby households by multiple methods (mail, phone alert and online postings) before Council acts on related ordinance language.
The zoning ban was referred to the next City Council meeting. The fire‑code/display permit item will be the subject of a forthcoming dedicated safety meeting and resident outreach, and no permit approvals were made at this session.
